QPR chief raises prospect of ground share

QPR chief executive Philip Beard admits the club cannot afford to build a new stadium without incorporating a cinema, restaurant or casino - or even ground share with a team from another sport.

Rangers are looking to move out of Loftus Road, which is the smallest ground in the Premier League, and are attempting to identify a site near their current west London home.

But Beard admits the club has to have a bigger fanbase before they can even consider moving - and says that a football-only stadium would not work.

And the man who oversaw the transformation of the Millenium Dome into the 02 has refused to rule out other clubs playing at the stadium, with Fulham and London Wasps both having called Loftus Road home in the past.

"To have a stand-alone football stadium that only hosts 19 home domestic matches a season would probably not make the numbers work," he said.

"What is important is that it is the home of QPR but it will need to have facilities to do other things as well.

"A full-on ground-share is more challenging, but I am hoping to emulate an entertainment destination model where you roll the pitch away and use it for other things.

"Look at the Emirates hosting Coldplay for three nights - that is the sort of activity you need to host to generate the revenues to make the club sustainable and ultimately invest in the team going forward.

"But the criteria is that we need to find somewhere that hopefully isn't too far from Loftus Road.

"Our fanbase is a very passionate, loyal and local fanbase. We need to stay in the area if we can and that is almost a must."

But Beard first wants to make the club a force both in the Premier League and Europe so that more supporters are attracted to the terraces.

Rangers survived on the final day last season but Beard knows an average attendance of 17,295 needs to be improved significantly.

He added: "We need to build our fanbase. We have a capacity of 18,500 at Loftus Road and I think we could fill a significantly higher number of seats here.

"If we are serious about building a new stadium we need to grow our fanbase and engage with young people and the community and become a club that is not just known in London and around Europe but further afield.

"That takes time but it is exciting and is a challenge building a brand, growing a fanbase. That is something I am hoping I can challenge the guys off the pitch to help us with.

"QPR stands for so many good things that if we can get the messages out there we will start to see the blue and white Hoops further afield than west London."

If we are serious about building a new stadium we need to grow our fanbase and engage with young people and the community